The transition from being a university student to now starting fulltime work can bring up a lot of uncertainty and mixed feelings about where you are going.

I find that being at university, I always felt I was going somewhere or doing something with the constant reassurance and positive feedback from lecturers and friends that I am doing well and in the right direction. This is hard to find when you aren’t in that environment, so as someone who thrives off feedback, I can feel a little lost without it – stagnant.

I have this quote plastered everywhere, so it prompts reflection on where I am and what I have been doing and that pace doesn’t matter. It is easy to compare, sometimes things that are not even of interest to you can make you feel as though you are not good enough if someone else is doing it. It feels ridiculous to feel envy or jealousy when someone else has something that you don’t even want but it happens.

So this year I will take my time, try my best to live in the moment, appreciate how far I have come and continue to grow – never stop learning.

19th November 2017 – Mount Kosciuszko, Thredbo Australia – One of my goals this year was to climb to the summit of Mt. Kosciuszko, time and weather didn’t allow but I made it as far as I could, turned back and made it an adventure for another day.

As exciting as new beginnings can be, it also brings confusions to where you want to go. It feels as though we are supposed to have it all figured out. But I don’t. I saw the following phrase/poem on Facebook, I loved the change in perspective and carefree nature of it:-

I stopped telling myself that I’m lost,

I’m not.

I’m on a road with no destination, I’m just driving with hope that I’ll find a place that I like and I’ll stay there.

In times of stress and worry, I fail to look after myself. Sometimes the pressures of life make it seem as though you come last, everything else matters but you. I am here to tell you and myself that this is not true, even though you may feel otherwise.

Whatever your worries and/or stresses may be, there are some things we all have to do to take care of ourselves. Not only will these things alleviate your stress but also prompt you to formulate more logical, objective and structured answers to your problems.

Eat – nourish your body to nourish your mind. Eating is vital. Your brain is already on overdrive in times of stress, not eating will cause a malfunction. So do not forget to eat. Balanced meals would be ideal, but eating in general is a good place to start. (unless you are a stress eater, which in this case probably doesn’t apply to you)

Sleep – my simple rule when making big decisions or when trying to get through something, is sleep. No better way is there to shut yourself off for a few minutes or hours, to rest and settle and approach the problem with a better mindset.

Go outside – extremely overlooked when stressed is nature and the calmness it can bring. I find going for a walk (doesn’t have to be long) and focusing on the sky, trees (especially leaves) and the weather extremely relaxing. It also puts things into perspective, that this world is full of great simple things, you just have to notice them.

Take a shower or bath – this is almost ritualistic to me. After a really bad day or situation, I take a shower almost to signify getting rid of negative emotions and thoughts and moving on refreshed.

Read a book – sometimes I know that my problems are small and easy to deal with but I am still upset and overwhelmed, I have a go to book called ‘Opening the Door of Your Heart: And Other Buddhist Tales of Happiness’ by Ajahn Brahm who is an English buddhist monk that writes short thoughtful, quirky and light stories that gives you a change of heart. That is just my go to, whatever works for you is good.

Journal/write things down – Externalising your feelings and thoughts is so helpful when you are overwhelmed and confused. You can reflect on what you have written and even make your own prompts/questions to answer, to better understand how you are feeling. I journal a few times a week and this space is also an outlet for me, writing what I am going through is a release.

And those are my 6 strategies that may or may not work for you, but they work for me. There are many others and not every problem in life can be solved with these. I acknowledge some problems are extremely complex and terrible, but for day to day get downs, these work well.

Located a few kilometres from Gungahlin, in the small town named Hall is One Tree Hill. Sitting on the border of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, this hill provides spectacular views of mountain ranges in the distant horizon, the plain grasslands of Canberra, its city and the paved soil paths in preparation for new suburbs to emerge.

Climbing around the mountain, instead of directly upwards, the hike provided a view from all angles which blended well with the clear blue skies and clean crisp air.

The silence was spectacular, only the sound of birds to break it, even then there was a great sense of calmness.

Typical Australian wildlife was also spotted, an echidna and wallaby to add to the experience.

As daylight faded, clear blue, to pink, the sun set to reveal a blanket of orange as darkness approached.

The walk, long and leisurely, picturesque, with clean fresh air, there is no better way to spend an evening at home.

Canberra is surrounded by mountains. Being located within a valley, the area is abundant with natural flora and fauna. There’s a lack of buildings and cars, although rapidly populating, the area is still quiet and peaceful.

On a Sunday, you observe people spending their time outdoors. Parents riding two seated bicycles with their toddlers, friends on leisurely walks and serious cyclists battling the summers heat and oncoming vehicles.

Barbecues and picnics are quite common around the many beautiful and artificial lakes. In other words, people like to spend their time in nature.

Today I went on my second adventure. An hours drive from the Gungahlin area you reach Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, home of the Gibraltar Peak and Falls. This was my first time hiking this trail which was a combination of easy and difficult.

Gibraltar Falls is a few kilometres drive from the Woods Reserve. A nice little spot with fresh clear water, nice views and a cool breeze.

The views were worth it. The pictures does not do it justice. Canberra is home.

5 things I am grateful for today:

Canberra – for being full of nature and hiking opportunities.

My sense of adventure – Actually wanting to put the effort into doing a hike and accomplishing it on a hot summers day.

My friends – Having like minded friends who are up for an adventure makes life that much better!

Nature

Mushrooms – I just love eating mushrooms, they would easily be my favourite food.